1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an animated toy doll and more particularly to an improved animated toy doll which generates simulated voice and lip movements through manual manipulation.
2. Description of the Related Art
Various types of toy dolls that produce sounds and simulated speaking or sucking are known in the art.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,324,730; 3,005,283 and 4,244,139 disclose a movable mouth structure controlled by a biased pliers-type arrangement wherein the handles of the pliers are located inside the body of the figure for manipulating the movements of the upper and lower lips. These patents do not disclose the synthesized sounds.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,195,268 discloses a device for operating the mouth which is powered by a spring motor and triggered by the operator changing the orientation of the figure toy from a horizontal to a vertical position. The mechanism does not produce synthesized sounds.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,261,124 discloses a doll having lips that move as sounds are produced from a phonograph record. The doll has a flexible, unsupported head. The doll's lips are attached at a single place to a spring mechanism, so that movement of the spring pulls the lips in and pushes them out in a simulation of talking. The end of the spring opposite to the lips is connected to a rod that moves up and down with the rotation of an eccentric disk.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,364,618 discloses a doll with a flexible, unsupported head, movable eyes, movable lips and a phonograph record that produces speech sounds. To simulate talking, the doll's lower lip is pulled with a flexible wire, the wire being attached at its opposite end to a rockable member.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,775,352 discloses a doll with two motors that drive, respectively, movable eyes and movable lips. Each lip has a rod for moving the lip into open or closed position. An external camp with a tracking groove and a cam follower having a pin that rides the groove are used to move the two rods. The operation of the motor coupled to the lips and the playing of a tape that produces sounds have coordinated timing.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,808,242 discloses a doll having a flexible head, an integrated circuit that produces synthesized speech, an internal cam and a pivotable cam follower. An end of the cam follower pushes a lower lip to simulate talking, but is not attached to the lips. The doll's head is self-supporting, and all the mechanical and electrical workings of the doll are contained in the head.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,869,703 discloses a driving mechanism for an animated toy having two pieces that are individually mounted to the toy's lips, an oscillating piece that directs lip movement and a housing that includes a head portion. The mechanism does not provide synthesized speech sounds.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,413,516 discloses a toy doll with lips that move as speech sounds are produced from a speaker, by pressing a button and activating an integrated circuit that sends voice signals to the speaker.
A review of the above patents will show that the doll devices disclosed therein are too complicated in structure to become a commercial and practical product. Also, in the animated toy doll of the present invention, the lips move in a substantially different manner than is the case with the conventional art. More specifically, the lips of the present invention are pulled toward the inside of the mouth while they are closing. This movement more realistically represents the actual movement of the lips, whereas the mouth movement of the prior art is more artificial in nature, similar to chattering teeth.